Campbell Hall at the University of California at Santa Barbara. We hadn't been here for about 11 years -when the youngest among us was 14 years old.

It started out as usual. Then by intermission Jace, who had a 103 degree temperature, was feeling wobbly. One of the most FAQ's is - what happens when somebody is sick? The answer is - he carries on. We took a stool on stage and Jace sat for the second half. He was fine singing, just not standing up. He felt bad about it, but the audience was very supportive and solicitous!

It all ended well, and Jace was recovered by the next day. Perhaps because we hadn't been there in so long, people at the CD table had lots of questions.

Eric could let his daughter Mia know that he was coming home soon - and for a month, before we go to China. This Friday night we will have our annual Gala which this year honors Eric's first 20 years in Chanticleer.

The next day (Saturday) we did a master class with a Santa Barbara group called Quire of Voices, at the Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara.

We really liked the sound of the choir. They had a LOT of basses who really sounded like basses!

Quire of Voices had brought Biebl's "Ave Maria" (the song that follows us everywhere!) to work on.We ended the session by singing it together.

We pause under a palm tree before running off to the airport, with Nathan J. Kreitzer the director of this wonderful chorus. A short flight to San Francisco, and then we're home to rehearse for our next Bay Area concert series: "For Thy Soul's Salvation: Music for England's Monarchs." We often return to early music at the end of the year, and it's always an inspiring way to end the season.